مَتّى أُبلَّغُ مِن إِقبالِكَ الأَملا

مَتّى أُبلَّغُ مِن إِقبالِكَ الأَملا

يا مَن وَهَبتُ لَهُ نَفسِي فَما قَبِلا

يا مَن وَهَبتُ لَهُ نَفسِي فَما قَبِلا

When shall I attain my hope through your favor,

When will I be informed of your affection, O you

O you to whom I gave my soul, yet who did not accept it?

To whom I gave my soul, but you did not accept

يَكفِيكَ مِنّيَ أَن حَمَّلتَ قَلبِيَ ما

يَكفِيكَ مِنّيَ أَن حَمَّلتَ قَلبِيَ ما

لَم تَستَطِع قُلوبُ الناسِ فَاحتمَلا

لَم تَستَطِع قُلوبُ الناسِ فَاحتمَلا

Let it suffice you that you burdened my heart with what

It should suffice you that you burdened my heart with

The hearts of others could not bear—yet it endured.

What other people's hearts could not endure

هَجَرتَ بَعدَ وِصالٍ كُنتَ تَبذُلُه

هَجَرتَ بَعدَ وِصالٍ كُنتَ تَبذُلُه

يا وَيحَ مَن ذاقَ هَجراً بَعدَما وُصِلا

يا وَيحَ مَن ذاقَ هَجراً بَعدَما وُصِلا

You deserted me after the union you used to grant;

You abandoned me after intimacy you used to give

Alas for one who tasted abandonment after union!

Oh my, who has tasted abandonment after being brought together

يا أَهلَ نَجدٍ وَمِن وَجدٍ دَعَوتُكُمُ

يا أَهلَ نَجدٍ وَمِن وَجدٍ دَعَوتُكُمُ

وَالبَينُ قَد سَدَّ فِيما بَينَنا السُبُلا

وَالبَينُ قَد سَدَّ فِيما بَينَنا السُبُلا

O people of Najd, I called to you out of longing,

O people of Najd, I called upon you

While separation had barred the paths between us.

While the separation has blocked the ways between us

هَبُوا رِضاكُم لِمَشغُوفٍ بِحُبّكُمُ

هَبُوا رِضاكُم لِمَشغُوفٍ بِحُبّكُمُ

راضٍ بِحُكمِ هَواكُم جارَ أَو عَدَلا

راضٍ بِحُكمِ هَواكُم جارَ أَو عَدَلا

Grant your favor to one consumed by love for you,

Grant me your pleasure, o lover of your love

Content with your love's decree, whether unjust or fair.

Content with your passion whether you are kind or harsh

صِلُوا غَرِيباً عَنِ الأَوطانِ مُنقَطِعاً

صِلُوا غَرِيباً عَنِ الأَوطانِ مُنقَطِعاً

يُهدِي حَنيناً إِلى الأَحباب مُتَصِلا

يُهدِي حَنيناً إِلى الأَحباب مُتَصِلا

Renew your bond with a stranger cut off from his homeland,

Greet an outlander, estranged, disconnected

Who offers unceasing yearning to his loved ones.

Yearning guides towards the loved ones, connected

يا مَن تَبَدَّلَتِ الأَحوالُ بَعدَهُمُ

يا مَن تَبَدَّلَتِ الأَحوالُ بَعدَهُمُ

بِنا وَلَم نَتّخِذ مِن حُبّهم بَدَلا

بِنا وَلَم نَتّخِذ مِن حُبّهم بَدَلا

O those after whose departure circumstances changed

O you who changed after them

For us, though we chose no substitute for loving them.

While we did not take anyone in replacement of their love

تَنقّلَت في الفَلا عِيسي وَحُبّكُمُ

تَنقّلَت في الفَلا عِيسي وَحُبّكُمُ

بَينَ الجَوانِحِ لَم يَبرَح وَلا اِنتَقلا

بَينَ الجَوانِحِ لَم يَبرَح وَلا اِنتَقلا

My pale camels roamed the deserts, while love for you

Jesus wandered the horizons, while your love

Never left or shifted from between my ribs.

Did not budge between my inner feelings, nor moved

رَحَلتُ عَنكُم وَقَلبي في مَنازِلِكُم

رَحَلتُ عَنكُم وَقَلبي في مَنازِلِكُم

يا لَيتَ شِعري وَطالَ العَهدُ ما فَعَلا

يا لَيتَ شِعري وَطالَ العَهدُ ما فَعَلا

I departed from you, but my heart stayed in your dwellings;

I went away from you while my heart is in your dwellings

Oh, if only I knew, after so long, how it has fared!

I wonder, as the estrangement grew long, what did it do

حَسبي عَلى البُعدِ أَنّي ما سَلَوتُكُم

حَسبي عَلى البُعدِ أَنّي ما سَلَوتُكُم

لا كانَ مَن بانَ عَن أَحبابِهِ فَسَلا

لا كانَ مَن بانَ عَن أَحبابِهِ فَسَلا

It is enough for me, despite the distance, that I have not ceased longing for you;

It suffices me in this estrangement that I did not wrong you

Perish whoever parts from his loved ones and ceases to long for them!

It would not have been who is far from his loved ones erred

لَم أذكُرِ الصَبرَ وَالسُلوانَ بَعدَكُمُ

لَم أذكُرِ الصَبرَ وَالسُلوانَ بَعدَكُمُ

وَلا تَناسيتُمُ الإِعراضَ وَالمَلَلا

وَلا تَناسيتُمُ الإِعراضَ وَالمَلَلا

I have not thought of patience or consolation since you left,

I did not mention patience and solace after you

Nor have you put aside your aversion and weariness.

Nor did you forget indifference and boredom

حَتّى النَواسِمُ مِن أَكنافِ رَبعِكُمُ

حَتّى النَواسِمُ مِن أَكنافِ رَبعِكُمُ

تاهَت عَلَينا وَحَتّى طَيفُكُم بِخِلا

تاهَت عَلَينا وَحَتّى طَيفُكُم بِخِلا

Even the breezes from the environs of your dwelling

Even the birds of your dwellings' vicinity

Have grown haughty toward us, and even your dream-vision has been miserly.

Got lost to us, and even your specter was scarce

تَدارَكُوا مُهجَةً في حُبّكُم فَنِيَت

تَدارَكُوا مُهجَةً في حُبّكُم فَنِيَت

وَعَلِّلُوا جَسَداً مِن شَوقِكُم نَحَلا

وَعَلِّلُوا جَسَداً مِن شَوقِكُم نَحَلا

Rescue a soul that has perished in love for you,

Revive a soul that perished in your love

And comfort a body grown gaunt from longing for you.

And heal a body that your longing emaciated

أَهدُوا التَحِيَّةَ تُحَيُوا مَيتَ هجرِكُمُ

أَهدُوا التَحِيَّةَ تُحَيُوا مَيتَ هجرِكُمُ

أَو النَسيمَ عَلِيلاً يُبرِئُ العِلَلا

أَو النَسيمَ عَلِيلاً يُبرِئُ العِلَلا

Send a greeting—you will revive one killed by your abandonment—

Send regards to revive the dead of your estrangement

Or a gentle breeze that cures afflictions.

Or a light breeze that heals ailments

لَيتَ الصَبا حَدّثَت عَن لَوعَتي فَعَسى

لَيتَ الصَبا حَدّثَت عَن لَوعَتي فَعَسى

يَدرِي المُقيمُ بِما يَلقاهُ مِن رَحَلا

يَدرِي المُقيمُ بِما يَلقاهُ مِن رَحَلا

If only the east wind would tell of my anguish—then perhaps

I wish the morning breeze told of my agony so that

The one who stayed would know what the one who departed endures.

The resident may know what the roamer faces of woes